Kent Setsma, owner of Nice Bike, works with the placement of Laurie Callahan's foot on her peddle to improve the fit of her bike to her body. Callahan is training for her first triathlon this summer.

Kent Setsma, left, owner of Nice Bike, works with Laurie Callahan as she pedals her bike looking at ways to improve the fit of her bike to her body. At right is Ann Lantz, Laurie's triathlon coach. Callahan is a novice triathlete and is looking forward to doing her first triathlon this summer.

Editor’s note: Training for the bike portion of a triathlon has a rather noticeable difference from the other two segments: the unwieldy piece of equipment that must be mastered — and on the longest part of the race. In this second installment of our three-part series — which started last week with the swim segment and continues next Tuesday with the run — we offer training tips from local cycling experts and athletes to keep you from spinning your wheels as you gear up for the season.

Ready? Get your bike fitted, hop on and take these pro tips on how to put in your best performance on the bicycling leg of a triathlon.

Biking a triathlon

Training for the bicycling leg of a triathlon starts with the bicycle, which is less self-evident than it may sound.

“We see people starting out on a hand-me-down mountain bike that hasn’t been cleaned in years,” says Celeste Callahan, president of Team CWW, a nonprofit organization that helps women train for triathlons.

One example: her daughter-in-law, Laurie Callahan, a newbie training with Team CWW for her first triathlon later this year. Not that her mountain bike is dirty — it’s fine — but the saddle was too low, the cranks were the wrong size, and her handlebars weren’t the right height. Celeste can’t talk her out of using a mountain bike instead of borrowing a sleek road bike, but she did persuade Laurie to have a mechanic assess her form on the bike.

“The first thing you need to do is shop for a mechanic. You don’t shop for a bike, or a bike shop. You shop around for a mechanic who’ll treat you with respect when you need to be fit correctly on the bike.”

Getting a bike-fit assessment is simple but crucial. If you’re buying a bicycle, some shops will include the fit — evaluating the body’s contact points on the pedals, seat and handlebars — in the price of the bike.

Otherwise, expect to pay $55 to $400 (higher prices mean a more exacting process) for a detailed analysis that uses a fitting jig that will help a mechanic adjust the saddle, handlebars, brake levers and pedals to the correct height and alignment.

Why is a bike fit worth the investment? A bike that fits you, says Callahan, means that you’ll ride more efficiently, and avoid knee, back, foot, neck and hand pain.

Next, have the bicycle tuned up (about $75), especially if it’s been collecting dust in the garage or the basement, Callahan says.

“The machine has to fit you, and it has to work correctly,” she said.

Ready to train

And then the fun begins! Sort of.

“Training on your bike will not be fun at all for a while,” Callahan says. “It will be the hardest work you’ve ever done. It will be hard at first, but as long as you know that, you’re ahead.”

Having a bike that fits, though, means being able to maintain your best speed, ideally a cadence of 80 to 100 revolutions per minute on a flat road.

“And only ride in the hardest gear you can maintain for the whole ride. If you can’t maintain your cadence in a higher gear, you need to drop down so your cadence stays the same. If you’re going uphill, you might go from 100 rpm to 60, but you don’t want to drop down to five. That’s called ‘ mashing your gears,’ and it will make your legs too tired for the run.”

Two of the most important skills for newbies: Being hyper-aware of their surroundings, including the cars and cyclists behind and in front of them; and the ability to grab and replace a water bottle from a cage on the bike frame.

On the bike, drink early and often. Callahan teaches her CWW protegees to down at least eight ounces of water for every 12 miles they ride.

Drinking lots of water is absolutely relevant to being aware of your surroundings when you’re riding in a group. Here’s a little-known fact outside of triathlon circles: Many triathletes pee while they’re cycling.

“When they’re riding in a group of people, people need to be wary of who’s around them, and pay attention to the environment,” Lyons says.

Pay attention to the road

In short, be mindful of who’s immediately behind and ahead of you, and pay attention to the road surface for cracks or potholes. Always announce yourself before passing someone — even if that prompts the cyclist in front of you to speed up. (Lyons concedes this happens more often than not.) “Everyone around you is focused on their own speed, and they often are not aware of what’s going on around them,” Lyons says.

“It’s not uncommon for a rider to cut out in front of you, veering and cutting you off without signaling. That’s against USAT basic rules, but it happens. The rule is that once your front wheel overtakes their front wheel, they’re supposed to drop back by two bike lengths. That can happen. In reality, the person you’re trying to pass will probably go faster.”

In that case, drop back, resume your cadence, and try again.

“And when you do pass, be ready for the person who’s dropped back to try to overtake you again,” Lyons warns.

If that happens, don’t let it bother you, advises Ellen Hart Peña, 54, who has won seven world and three national championships since 2007, including the 2010 Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. In 2010, 2011 and 2012, USAT ranked Hart first in her age group (women 50-54) .

“The one thing I’ve learned overall is: Don’t worry,” Hart Peña says.

“I know that’s sounds simplistic, but there’s so much stuff to do in triathlon, and it’s so hard to keep all the details straight, especially when you’re just starting out. You’re in a group of generally good-humored and generous people who, by and large, are really eager to help each other.”

Indeed, when Hart-Peña forgot to pack her bicycle helmet for her first triathlon, another competitor lent her a spare.

“Here’s what I do every time I compete,” she says. “I tell myself, ‘I only have to do one thing at a time.’ When I’m swimming, I don’t worry about the bike or the run. To try to swim, and have all these people thrashing around and wondering what the heck you’re doing there, and how you’re going to do these two other things — that doesn’t help.

Short, daily rides (even 5 miles) are better than riding 50 miles once a week.

Work on achieving a circular pedal stroke. If you’re pushing down with both feet but not pulling up, your legs will wear out, and you’ll lose energy and tire quickly. Practice pulling up on one side while pushing down on the other. It feels awkward at first, but smoothing this out will increase your efficiency and speed.

Be aware of your surroundings, and know the laws pertaining to cycling and your rights.

Worried about finding your gear in the transition area? Tie a helium balloon to your bicycle, or mark it with a bright-hued towel that catches your eye as you emerge from the swim.

Simplify, if you’re anxious about changing clothes between events. Consider wearing a one-piece triathlon suit that functions for the swim, bicycle and run. The only other things really needed at the transition spot are a towel, sunglasses, her race number attached to a belt, biking shoes, running shoes — and a cycling helmet, of course.

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